It's the time of year when we all start to ease into holiday mode and a more reflective state so it seems like a good time to run a little poetry. The following poem we received from Nick Flittner who is living in England these days but clearly has a spare room in his heart for Magnetic.

Nick writes: "I lived in Townsville from 1984 to 1995, and on Magnetic Island from 6 months in early 1990. I write poetry and published a book that year called Magnetic Island Reflections. Many of the poems were first published in The Magneto by Charlie McColl.

One of my poems appears in Vandhana's recently published book

Another was part of a memorial to Mary Bright a few years back.

Nick Flittner

Reef Walkers

Reef-walkersare treading on Creations’ Playgroundat low tide.

A brown stainemerges from the blue seadrawn out by the white moonpulling from the black sky.

Crushed coral collapsesunder the inquisitive footof the knowledge-seeker,learning to death the uncovered secrets of sub-aqueous society.

25.3.1990

A poem: Reef-Walkers

5 comments

Tom Cameron

December 21st 2010

complete crap

Bruce J Dargie

December 21st 2010

Loved the book, poems and continuing Magnetic Times! Best wishes to all for the upcoming season and 2011!

Davo

December 21st 2010

your complete crap comment Tom is, well, complete crap

chasmac

December 22nd 2010

Interesting response to Nick Flittner's poem. Obviously some people think fringing reefs are pretty much indestructible and should be open to visitation at all times.... which they are. However, there was a time when the reef at Geoffrey Bay was set up with a self-guiding trail with labels etc so that people could take themselves out there at low tide and learn something in their travels. This was around the time when the discovery of 'coral spawning' was made at that very place. There was special signage erected for both purposes and it became quite a popular activity. If I remember correctly, after a couple of years there was a seriously worn trail across the fringing reef and the managers in Marine Parks and GBRMPA realised that their good idea had a downside. They removed the signage and the labels and no longer promoted the self-guiding trail and the reef began recovering. I reckon Nick's poem dates from that exact time.

Nick Flittner

July 31st 2011

Exactly right, chasmac! I remember sitting on the beach at Geoffrey Bay watching people walking all over the reef, following that trail set up by GBRMPA. It did seem odd to me at the time that they were encouraging people to walk on the reef. You could also snorkel around the trail at higher tides, which seems a much less intrusive use of the reef. BTW, Magnetic Island Reflections are now available at the MI Heritage and Craft Centre.